Magma is a great orchestral symphony composed by the famous norwegian contemporary composer Arne Nordheim, who loved frank zappa and had him home for dinner (in his governemt paid composers house) when he was in Norway. He died just a few days ago, which is very sad.I personally heard the first performance of Magma in 1988, which also happened to be the same year i attended the last zappa concert (in skedsmohallen oustide of Oslo) for my part. Hows that for meaningless trivia. Listen to this clip from magma on itunes, and you'll hear the FZ inspiration in there.

the 1st time I heard this was on a very old vinyl that I bought 2 euros or something,I suspect it to be the same edition that Vander had,(there's both "Les Noces" & "L'histoire du soldat" on the record)& there's a moment (around the 5 min 56 sec mark here :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMn8EETiheY&fmt=18 ) ,with the lo-fi quality of that recording,when you can hear something sung in Russian that really sounds like "Kobaïa"

I know what Magma's drummer/leader thought of Frank. In the July '03 issue of Modern Drummer, Christian Vander said, "Hmmm, there's a word I always say for Zappa and his music. It's 'derision'." Ouch!

Which is not surprising.

America had the reputation for creating music that just was and had no definition whasoever, and Frank's ways and ability to put together music was, and became, legendary.

I don't think that Christian meant anything bad ... I just think that he did not have the time or place to be able to sit and enjoy other people's music, when you spend so much time in rehearsal for your own work, as the number of people that come and go make the rehearsal part really important ... which is quite different and opposite what the Frank Zappa is known for ... although there are stories that you better rehearse so we can make this good, and then turn every one loose, and have fun with it.

For both of them, it is obvious that the music is well defined ... for one to think the other "derision" is probably more a joke than anything else and might have been taken out of context. But asking Christian about any music is ... strange ... his listening habits are quite limited according to Stella and probably have to be ... or he would not be able to do what he does!

I know what Magma's drummer/leader thought of Frank. In the July '03 issue of Modern Drummer, Christian Vander said, "Hmmm, there's a word I always say for Zappa and his music. It's 'derision'." Ouch!

I'm sorry but I know a little bit Magma and I really think that Christian Vander doesn't mean "ridiculous" when he says "derision". I think he speaks of the way Fz saw the world : "with derision" and express it in his music. If he'd say "dérisoire" that wouldn't be the same meaning. But "dérision" in French is different.And some people said here that Magma didn't have any sense of humour.... of course they had ! But it was a very provocative one ! (don't take that in the first degree !) With lot of things Fz said too but with a different humour. In 70 they were totally black dressed because Vander didn't want people to come to the concert to see well dressed or fashionable musicians but only to listen to the music. Didn't Fz say almost the same thing ?. Vander said too : "black is silence". So musician in black don't speak of what they play, they just play and this is the most important.

I know what Magma's drummer/leader thought of Frank. In the July '03 issue of Modern Drummer, Christian Vander said, "Hmmm, there's a word I always say for Zappa and his music. It's 'derision'." Ouch!

I'm sorry but I know a little bit Magma and I really think that Christian Vander doesn't mean "ridiculous" when he says "derision". I think he speaks of the way Fz saw the world : "with derision" and express it in his music. If he'd say "dérisoire" that wouldn't be the same meaning. But "dérision" in French is different.And some people said here that Magma didn't have any sense of humour.... of course they had ! But it was a very provocative one ! (don't take that in the first degree !) With lot of things Fz said too but with a different humour. In 70 they were totally black dressed because Vander didn't want people to come to the concert to see well dressed or fashionable musicians but only to listen to the music. Didn't Fz say almost the same thing ?. Vander said too : "black is silence". So musician in black don't speak of what they play, they just play and this is the most important.

I remember playing some drums in my town (in France) around 1980, where there was a very poor but very open training place where musicians could train or jam. One day a guy who was friends' friend but I didn't know him came and take his bass and we played a little bit together... In fact he played very well and I tried to do something but I was very bad on drums at this time (only 16 years old) but he was very kind. At the end of the little jam, I asked him who he was and he says oh I'm Marco me : oh and are you a professional musician?him : yes I play with Magma, it's cool...me : Magma was my favourite group with Zappa at this time.This guy was Marc Eliard who lived not far from my town and he played with Magma in 1980 : what a enormous shock for me. And the second bassist of Magma (Jean-Luc Chevallier) was from Nantes 50km from where I lived and gave guitar lessons in MY little town (My girl friend had guitar lessons with him around this time but she didn't know Magma!) I couldn't believed that ! Two next-door guy in the greatest group of the universe (for me at this time, I still like Magma but in a more adult manner !) Great thing for a little guy in a little town, I remember that as a very good "souvenir"Now Marc Eliard is playing with Indochine. (very successful here)Ok I stop before being boring !

I remember playing some drums in my town (in France) around 1980, where there was a very poor but very open training place where musicians could train or jam. One day a guy who was friends' friend but I didn't know him came and take his bass and we played a little bit together... In fact he played very well and I tried to do something but I was very bad on drums at this time (only 16 years old) but he was very kind. At the end of the little jam, I asked him who he was and he says oh I'm Marco me : oh and are you a professional musician?him : yes I play with Magma, it's cool...me : Magma was my favourite group with Zappa at this time.This guy was Marc Eliard who lived not far from my town and he played with Magma in 1980 : what a enormous shock for me. And the second bassist of Magma (Jean-Luc Chevallier) was from Nantes 50km from where I lived and gave guitar lessons in MY little town (My girl friend had guitar lessons with him around this time but she didn't know Magma!) I couldn't believed that ! Two next-door guy in the greatest group of the universe (for me at this time, I still like Magma but in a more adult manner !) Great thing for a little guy in a little town, I remember that as a very good "souvenir"Now Marc Eliard is playing with Indochine. (very successful here)Ok I stop before being boring !

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